Since 1994, the Regional Forest Inventory of Wallonia (RFIW) is in charge of the monitoring of all the forests of Wallonia. Main source of objective data for a reasoned and sustainable forest management ... [more ▼]

Since 1994, the Regional Forest Inventory of Wallonia (RFIW) is in charge of the monitoring of all the forests of Wallonia. Main source of objective data for a reasoned and sustainable forest management, the RFIW is a precious tool for regional forest policy, research, wood industries and also all people who simply want to know more about forests in Wallonia. This book contains results from the first inventory (1994-2008) and from the beginning of the second inventory (2008-2012). [less ▲]

in Gilkes, R. J.; Prakongkep, N. (Eds.) Proceedings of the 19th World Congress of Soil Science; Soil solutions for a changing world : Brisbane Australia 1-6 August 2010 (2010, August)

Soil monitoring has become a rising concern during last decade in Europe. A Forest Soil Survey (FSS) is being implemented in Southern Belgium as a component of a forest observation and monitoring ... [more ▼]

Soil monitoring has become a rising concern during last decade in Europe. A Forest Soil Survey (FSS) is being implemented in Southern Belgium as a component of a forest observation and monitoring programme. An analysis of the monitoring network has been performed at mid-term of the first investigation stage in order to assess current soil conditions and the temporal evolution that can be detected in the future. The fertility status and the determinism of major and trace elements in forest soils have been investigated at regional scale through uni- and multivariate statistical analyses of the 410 soil samples of the network. A performance analysis of the network has been realized regardings the capacity to detect evolution of soil parameters. The first results show a moderate to strong variability according to the variable considered. High levels of variability were attributed to the presence of carbonated parent material in a distribution largely dominated by detritic terrigeneous rocks. The total contents in forest soils are mainly driven by pedo-geochemical background. The FSS allowed detailed mapping because there are clear convergences between spatial distributions of most of the elements and lithology or small natural regions. The levels of minimum detectable differences (MDD) that can be expected seem only compatible with the monitoring of soil acidification and changes in carbon stocks on the long-term. Future prospects should focus on the improvement of the MDD assessment. [less ▲]

Southern Belgium’s permanent forest inventory (IPRFW) has been running since February 1994. Its main objective is to identify and control the state and evolution of Wallonia’s forests. Because of the ... [more ▼]

Southern Belgium’s permanent forest inventory (IPRFW) has been running since February 1994. Its main objective is to identify and control the state and evolution of Wallonia’s forests. Because of the growing awareness of the importance of biodiversity and the potential ability of a national forest inventory to assess and monitor it (Köhl, 1996; Tomppo, 1996), since 1997 the inventory has been compiling exhaustive listings (relevés) of the vegetation present in each woodland-based field plot. The inventory was designed to use this floristic information to determine the forest type of each sample unit, characterizing its vegetation diversity and monitoring its evolution across the repeated measures of the inventory, normally taken every 10 years. The inventory’s current methodology for vegetation description is based on the well-known phytosociological relevé method of Braun-Blanquet. This chapter presents only a few examples of data processing results. Furthermore, several problems related to field operations and data processing are also analysed in order to enhance the next inventory cycle scheduled for 2008. The proposed methodological adjustments are designed in such a way that the data and results obtained are useful not only from the point of view of biodiversity, but also for everyday forest management practice. This chapter summarizes the current status of the regional forest inventory in Wallonia with respect to vegetation diversity issues and highlights the need for further methodological progress. [less ▲]

The natural concentration of some elements in soil varies regionally according to lithology and locally with site-specific soil forming conditions such as relief or vegetation characteristics. Knowledge ... [more ▼]

The natural concentration of some elements in soil varies regionally according to lithology and locally with site-specific soil forming conditions such as relief or vegetation characteristics. Knowledge of the natural total concentrations of trace metals is now considered as prerequisite for the detection and assesment of anthropogenic contaminations. The Permanent Forest Inventory is a programme financed by the Ministry of the Walloon Region which aims at assessing and monitoring the forest condition in Southern Belgium. A part of this programme is dedicated to the implementation of a soil quality monitoring network. The observation plots are located at the intersection of a regular grid. Ten percent of the forest plots are planned to be sampled each year, which theorically supposes a time-frequency of 10 years for the monitoring considerations. Up to now, three field campaigns have been completed and 245 soil samples analyzed. Once a plot precisely located on the field, soil is sampled by mixing twenty 20cm-deep cores taken at the perimeter of a 10m large circle. Environmental observations complete the field work. These concern the physical environment, the soil morphology and the vegetation characteristics. The following parameters are measured in the laboratory: total organic carbon, total nitrogen, pHwater, pHKCl, exchangeable acidity and aluminium, cationic exchangeable capacity, NH4Cl-exctractible cations, total, mineral, and exchangeable P, and aqua-regia extractible concentrations of Ca, Mg, K, Al, Fe, Cr, Ni, Mn, Zn, Cu, Pb, Co, and Cd. Statistical analysis were then performed on the results in order to identify the driving factors of the soil properties, especially the geochemical determinism. Relationships between parameters and between parameters and field observations were thus investigated. Then the relevance of some classifications to differenciate the soil properties was evaluated and finally the spatial structure of the parameters was compared to the geographical distribution patterns of lithology, soil associations, or ecological territories. Although some diversity can be found among the soil series in this survey, soils developped from shales and/or sandstones are largely dominant. The first results therefore show a large extreme-based variability and moderate variation coefficients. The exchangeable cations and carbonate–sensitive parameters are the most variable. Frequency distributions are often largely skewed. Exchangeable cations appear to be more closely linked to acidity status than organic content while pseudo-total concentrations show rather good linear relationships between each other, to the exception of Pb and Cd. Both elements seem linked to specific lithologies, the presence of limestone for Pb, some clay-rich parent material or limestone for Cd. Among the soil characteristics, the nature and the abundance of the coarse fragments associated to the fine earth is the most differenciating criteria for pseudo-total content. Finally, there are clear convergences between spatial distributions of most of the elements and lithology or small natural regions. [less ▲]

This paper presents estimations of volume increments concerning stands of beech (Fagus silvatica) in the southern part of Belgium (Wallonie). The data upon which the study is based are issued from 429 ... [more ▼]

This paper presents estimations of volume increments concerning stands of beech (Fagus silvatica) in the southern part of Belgium (Wallonie). The data upon which the study is based are issued from 429 sampling units belonging to the regional walloonian forest inventory have been remeasured at the end of a period of 10 years in order to provide estimates of a periodic annual increment in volume (to an upper limit of 22 cm in girth). Those sampling units located in public forests have been selected with respect to ecological conditions and natural regions observed in the studied area. The increment amounts 5,9 m³/ha/yr in the Ardenne and 6,8 m³/ha/yr in the Jurassic Region. The variation that has been observed ranged from 4 to 7 m³/ha/yr in Ardenne and from 5 to 8 m³ in Jurassic Region considering basal areas from 15 to 25 m²/ha. [less ▲]

Belgium is divided into 3 regions: Walloon, Flemish and Brussels regions. Each one has its own political autonomy in various fields, in particular the natural resources management. Wooded area in the ... [more ▼]

Belgium is divided into 3 regions: Walloon, Flemish and Brussels regions. Each one has its own political autonomy in various fields, in particular the natural resources management. Wooded area in the Walloon region covers 530.600 ha. A first temporary inventory has been realised in the beginning of the 1980s. A new permanent forest inventory is carried out since the beginning of the 1994. The Flemish region will start the first permanent inventory of its 128.600 ha of wooded area in 1997. With only 2.000 ha the Brussels region does not organise a forest inventory up to now. The method used in the Walloon region is summarised below as the Flemish inventory method is quite similar. [less ▲]